Search media

The Search media action searches for movies and series in Seerr. The results include the media ID that you need to create a media request with the Request media action.

This action returns its result in a response variable, which you can use in later steps, for example to request the first matching result.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To search for media from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select Seerr: Search media.
6. Select the Seerr instance and enter the Query to search for.
7. In the Response variable field, enter a name to store the data in, such as search_results.
8. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you are not prompted to choose an area, device, entity, or label.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as overseerr.search_media. Store the result in a response variable so you can use it in later steps:

action: overseerr.search_media
data:
  config_entry_id: YOUR_CONFIG_ENTRY_ID
  query: "The Matrix"
response_variable: search_results

This searches Seerr for media matching “The Matrix”.

Options in YAML

Response data

The response contains a results list. Each item describes a matching movie or series, including its media type and the media ID that you can use with the Request media action.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > Tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.